Loading and unloading device.



A. SCHULZE.

LOADING AND UNLOADING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.11, 1912.

1,052,096. Patented Feb. 4, 1913.

7 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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A. SGHULZE.

LOADING AND UNLOADING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.11, 1912.

Patented 'Feb. 4, 1913.

7 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

A. SGHULZE.

LOADING AND UNLOADING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 11,1912.

1,052,096. 7 Patented Feb. 4, 1913.

7 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

amoawtof A. SGHULZE.

LOADING AND UNLOADING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.11,1912.

1,052,096. Patnted Feb. 4, 1913.

7 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

awuemtoz @Wnooco j i JT'WM s2; G39 16, J

A. SGHULZE.

LOADING AND UNLOADING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.11,1912.

Patented Feb. 4, 1913.

'7 SHEETSSHEET 5.

Wi-tweooeo A. SCHULZE.

LOADING AND UNLOADING DE ICE. APPLICATION FILED MAB..11, 1912.

135,096. Patnted Feb 4, 1913.

7 SHEETS.SHEBT 6.

ANDREW SCHULZE, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

LOADING 4ND 'IUNLQAPING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 4, 1913.

Application filed March 11, 1912. Serial No. 682,849.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ANDREW SCHULZE, a citizenof the -Un.ited States, residing at Washington, in the District ofColumbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Loadingand Unloading Devices; and I do declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appert-ains to make and use thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to theletters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part ofthis specification.

This invention relates to improvements in the loading and unloading offreight and the like on automobiles, trucks and the like, and the objectof the invention is to provide an apparatus by means of which theautomobiles, trucks and the like can be loaded and unloaded more quicklyand cheaply than the loading and unloading can be done by hand.-

A further object of the invention is to provide a construction whichprovides for the loading and unloading of separate-cages or crates,which cages or crates are loaded and unloaded to and from an automobile,truck and the like, in such manner that the time required for theloading and unloading of an automobile, truck and the like, is reducedto a minimum, and a great saving is thereby occasioned.

It is essential in the loading and unload- I ing of automobiles, trucksand the like, to place the goods or merchandise on the truck and toproperly load the same by hand. This operation occasions considerableloss of time as the use of the automobile or truck 1 is lost during thetime which it is required to load and unload the same.

For short hauls the time required for loading and unloading exceeds thetime required for transporting the load, and consequently in many?instances the greater portion of the time is wasted while the truck isbeing loaded and unloaded.

pleand efficient loading and unloading device in order to save time andlabor that I have constructed this present invention; and I i like, saidloading and unloading means belng driven through the medium of suitablemechanism in such manner that the crates, boxes, cages or the like, canbe quickly loaded and unloaded to and from the automobile, truck and thelike. i

The invention further consists in certain details of construction and incombinations of parts, all of which will be first fully described andafterward specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings which illustrate severalmodifications of the invention; Figure 1 is an elevation of anautomobile truck illustrating the loading and unloading mechanism inelevation. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a similarview illustrating a modification of the construction shown in Fig. 1.Fig.

4 is a similar view illustrating a further modification. Fig. 5 is avertical sectional view through the body of the truck taken on line 55of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a similar view illustrating a modification. Fig. 7is a top plan view of the same. Fig. 8 is a top plan View of theconstruct-ion illustrated in Fig. 3. Fig. 9 is a vertical sectional viewtaken on line 9-9 of Fig. 8. Fig. 10 is an enlarged vertical sectionalview taken through line 10-10 of Fig. 3. Fig. 11 is an enlargedsectional view partly in elevation taken through line 1010 of Fig. 3.Fig. 12 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on line l212 ofFig. 6. Fig. 13 is a rear end elevation of the construction shown inFig. 6. Fig. 14 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on line14-14 of Fig. 1. Fig. 15 is an enlarged vertical sectional View taken online 1515 of Fig. 1. Fig. 16 is an enlarged side elevation of thetraveler illustrated in full lines in Fig. 1-.' Fig. 17 is an enlargedtransverse sectional view of the traveler driving gears illustrated in Fig.- 1, and Fig. 18 is a fragmentary vertical longitudinal sectionalview of one of the gear shifting constructions illustrated in Fig. 1. Itis for the purpose of arranging a simi Like numerals of referenceindicate the same parts throughout the several figures in which;

-1 indicates an automobile truck of any size, design or constructionhaving wheels and running gear and an engine or mo- 101 2.

Referring particularly to Fig. 1 it will be seen that the driving shaft3 from the mo.

tor 2 is provided with a bevel gear 4 which bevel gear meshes with abevel gear 5 mounted on a vertical shaft 6, and on said vertical shaft 6are two pair of slidable bevel gears 7 and 8,-said pair of bevel gears 7and 8 being slidable on the shaft 6 and rotatable therewith in suchmanner that the rotation of the vertical shaft 6 will be communicated toboth pair of bevel gears 7 and Disposed vertically and between each pairof bevel gears 7 and 8 is an upper bevel gear 9 and a lower bevel gear10, which bevel gears are suitably mounted on horizontal shafts as shownin Fig. 2, and on each shaft is a spur gear 11. Meshing with the spurgears 11 is an upper spur gear 12 and a lower spur gear 13 mounted onthe transverse horizontal shafts 14 and 15, the lower transversehorizontal shaft 15 having at each end thereof a bevel gear 16 whichmeshes with a bevel gear 17 mounted on the vertical shafts 18, a bevelear 19 bein mounted on the lower end 0% each vertica shaft 18 whichmeshes with bevel gears 20 mounted on transverse horizontal shafts 21,said transverse horizontal shafts 21 passing through the traveler casing22 at each side of the truck body, and within each traveler casing 22 isarranged a sprocket wheel 23. Referring now to the upper transversehorizontal shaft 14 it will be seen that the same carries at each endthereof a bevel gear 24 which meshes with bevel gears 25 mounted onvertical shafts 26, said vertical shafts having at their lower endsbevel gears 27 meshing with bevel gears 28 on transverse horizontalshafts 29, said transverse horizontal shafts 29 having at their outerends pinion wheels 30 which mesh with spur gears 31 which are mounted ontransverse horizontal shafts 21, said transverse horizontal shafts 21having bevel gears 33 thereon meshing with bevel gears 34 on thelongitudinal iorizontal worm shafts 35, said worm shafts 35 havingslidably mounted thereon a worm. 36 (Fig. 1) which worm is freelyslidable on the shaft 35 but not rotatable thereon, the same being keyedor otherwise secured in such manner that rotation of the shaft 35 iscommunicated to the worm 36. Arranged in the traveler casings 22 is anupper and a lower channel guide 37, the traveler 38 comprising a body 39on which four rollers 40 are mounted at each corner of the body,said'rollers LO-rolling in the channel uides or tracks 37 as is clearlyshown in Flg. 15, while an endless chain 41 is secured to the traveler38 at 42 (Fig. 15) so as to move the traveler longitudinally on itstracks in the manner as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1, saidendless chains 41 passing over the sprocket wheels 23 previouslydescribed at the forward portion of the vehicle and over sprockets 43 atthe rear end of the vehicle. Mounted on the travelers 38 is a spurroaaoea gear 44 carrying an arm 45, said spur gear 44 being meshed withapinion wheel 46 mounted on the shaft carried on the traveler 38, andmounted on the outer end of the shaft 47 is a worm gear 48-which mesheswith the worm 36 previously described, said worm 36 being slidablymounted on the longitudinal shaft 35, it being of course understood thatthe construction and parts just described are duplicated on both sidesof the vehicle. Pivoted on the ends of the arms are hooks 49 which aredesigned to engage projecting pins or studs 50 on cages or crates 51,which cages or crates 51 are designed to be filled with goods,merchandise or the like, before loading onto the truck, the manner ofhandling the cages or crates being clearly shown in Fig. 1. Arrangedconveniently to the driver are two levers 52 and 53, more particularlyshown in Fig. 18, said levers acting in a toothed rack 54 and pivoted at55, each of said levers being connected to a pair of the slidable bevelgears 7 and 8 in such manner that either or both pair of said slidablegears 7 and 8 can be practically raised or lowered at the will of theoperator.

Having thus described the construction illustrated in this modificationits operation is as follows: When it is desired to load one or morecages or crates 51 onto the truck 1 the upper lever 52 is operated so asto bring one bevel gear of the upper pair of bevel gears 8 intoengagement with the bevel gear 9, which bevel gear 9, by means of themechanism previously described, drives the sprocket wheels 23 and theendless chains 41 to move the traveler 38 into the osition shown in fulllines in Fig. 1. When 111 this position the lower lever 53 is operatedso as to bring one of the lower pair of bevel gears7 into mesh with thebevel gear 10 which through the medium of the gearing previouslydescribed rotates the worm shaft 35, which worm shaft 35 drives the spurgear 44 through the intermediate gearing to raise the arms 45 intoposition shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. This movement of the arms 45raises the cage or crate 51 into position shown in dotted lines inFig. 1. When the same is in this position the lever 53 is moved into anintermediate position which throws both lower pairs of gears 7 out ofmesh with the gear 10, the crate or cage 51 being in posit-ion shown indotted lines in Fig. 1. The movement of the upper lever 52 in theopposite direction causes the intermediate gearing previously describedto rotate the sprocket wheels 23 and draws the traveler 38 and itssuspended crate or cage forwardly of the machine as illustrated indotted lines in Fig. 1, and by means of these constructions the crate orcage can be deposited in any convenient desired position in the truck.As soon as the crate or cage has been loaded the traveler 38 is againrun back to continue the loading operation until the truck is loaded asdesired. When the loading operation has been accomplished the operatinglevers 52 and 53 are stood in their intermediate positions whichmovement disconnects all gearing and the motor is then employed topropel the truck...

' It will be clearly seen from this construction and from thearrangement of parts as herein described that the loading and unloadingof a truck can be accomplished quickly and with despatch. The operationof removing or unloading the crates or cages 5 from thetruck is effectedin the reverse manner as the operation just described so that the cratesor cages can be unloaded and delivered one at a time or the entire loadcan 1 be deposited whenever desired.

Referring to the modification illustrated in Figs. 3, 8, 9, 10 and 11 itwill be seen that the engine shaft 3 is provided with a bevel gear wheel4 which meshes with the bevel gear 5 mounted on the vertical shaft 6,said vertical shaft 6 carrying a pair of slidable bevel gears 7 both ofwhich are adapted to mesh with a bevel gear 10 mounted on a transversehorizontal shaft 10, said hori'-' zontal shaft 10' carrying a spur wheel11 transverse horizontal shaft 15, said transverse horizontal shaft 15carrying at each end thereof a bevel gear 16 which meshes} with bevelgears 17 on vertical shafts'18'; carrying bevel gears 19 at their lowerends,

guides 37 being the same as previously de- '45 scribed except that thetrave er 38 is provided with a worm screw nut 100 and a pivoted arm 101as is clearly shown in Fig. 10. Referring again to Fig. 3 it will beseen that the engine shaft extends forwardly of the engine and carries apair of slidable bevel gears 102 either of which mesh with a bevel gear103 mounted on a vertical shaft 104 on which is mounted a bevel gear 105which meshes with a bevel gear 106 mounted on a transverse horizontalshaft 107 on the outer ends of which are mounted bevel gears 108 whichmesh with bevel gears 109 mounted on the ends of the horizontallongitudinal shafts 110 which shafts 110 carry a longitudinal slidablethread 111, which threads into the nut 100 on the traveler 38 as isclearly shown in Fig. 8, the said end less chain 41 being connected tothe traveler 38 at 42 in such manner that the said 66 traveler can becarried into position shown.

which meshes with a spur wheel 13 on a in dotted lines in Fig. 3. 112indicates a lever conveniently arranged near the 'operan tor which leveris pivoted at 113 for'the purpose of sliding the slidable gears 102 intoand out of mesh with the bevel gear 103 which rotates the' longitudinalshafts 110. slidable with the longitudinal slidable thread 11 1'is amember 114 carrying a proeotmgpm orstud 115 on whichis mounted alongitudinal lever arm 116," said longitudinal lever arm v116 havingpivoted at its outer end a link 117 having a hooked lower end 118 as isclearly shown in Fig. 3.

Having thus described the details of the constructions shown in Figs. 3,8, 9, 10 and 11 its operation is as follows: When it is desired to" loada crate or cage 51 the hooks lever 112 is moved to throw one of theslidable gears102 into mesh with the bevel gear 103 and through theintermediate mechanism previously described the longitudinal shafts 110on each side of the body are rotated which threads up the longitudinalslidable thread 111 into the nut 100 on the traveler 38, and as saidthread 111 progresses rearwardly it carries with it the lower end of thelbngitudinal lever arm 116, and as said longitudinal lever arm 116 ispivoted at 119 to the lever arm 101 said arms "are caused to be broughttogether into the position shown in -dotted lines in Fig. 3,

which movement of the lever arms'101 and 116 causes the crate or cage tobe raised into position shown in dotted lines in i Fig. 3. When thecrate or cage is in this position the operating lever 53 is moved tobring one of the slidable bevel gears 7 into mesh with the bevel gear 10which, through the mechanism previously described, moves the endlesschain. 41 and causes the traveler 38, slidable thread 111 and thelongitudinal leverarm 116 to be moved bodily forwardly of the truck andin the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3 so that the crate orcage can be deposited on the truck at any convenient or desired positionthereon. The manner of unloading the crates or cages is accomplished byreversing the operation just described.

Referring to the constructions illustrated in Figs. 6, 7, 12 and 13.itwill be seen that the truck floor is provided with a series oftransverse'rollers 120 and that a transverse shaft 121 is arranged atthe rear end of the truck floor, said transverse shaft121 having at eachend thereof a pulley 122 over which an endless cable 123 passes,suitable tensioning pulleys or idlers 124 being provided for the purposeof tensioning the cable 123 The said in the manner which is apparent.

cables 123 pass forwardly and around pulleys 125'and pass transverselvof the truck gear 131 in order to rotate the vertical shaft 130 ineither direction. At the upper end of the vertical shaft 130 is a wormgear 135 which meshes with worm gear wheels 136 mounted on horizontallongitudinal shafts 137, which shafts carry pulleys 138. Mounted on theshaft 121 at the rear end of the truck and rotatable therewith are twoarms 139 having pivoted to the outer ends thereof hooks 140, andconnected to the outer ends 141 of said arms 139 is a cable 142 whichpasses upwardly and forwardly of the truck and over pulleys 143, thecable leading horizontally and forwardly to and over pulleys 144 fromwhence the cable leads transversely to the pulleys 138 above described.7

. Having thus described the details of the constructions shown in Figs.6, 7, 12 and 13 its operation is as follows: When it is desired to lowera crate or cage 51 the hooks 140 are connected to the pins 50 as shownin Fig. 6 and the operating lever 134 is moved so as to throw one of theslidable bevel gears 132 into mesh with the bevel gear 131 to rotate thevertical shaft 130 and through the intermediate gearing previouslydescribed the endless cables 123 near the floor of the truck are movedin order to rotate the leys 122 on the transverse shaft 121 at the rearof the truck, while at the same time the cables 142 at the top of thetruck are wound around the drums 138 in order to raise the. arms 139into position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 6, and when the crate orcage 51 is in position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 6 the same can berolled forwardly of the truck on the rollers 120 and disposed in anyconvenient position on the floor thereof, the unloading operation beingthe reverse of that just described.

Referring now to the construction illus-' trated in Figs. 4 and 5 itwill be seen that the floor of the truck is provided with a series oftransverse rollers 120, and a stage 175 having transverse rollers 176 isprovided and supported by braces or legs 177 in such manner as toform acontinuance of the floor of the truck as is clearly shown in Fig. 4, thetruck being provided at its rear end with an obliquely disposed brace178, the upper end 179 of which extends beyond the floor proper of thetruck, and at the extreme end of the top 180 and central thereof isprovided a pulley 181 over which a cable 182 passes, said cable leadingforwardly of pulthe truck over pulleys 183 and 184 whence the cableleads vertically and downwardly around a drum 185 mounted on ahorizontal longitudinal shaft 186 which meshes with a worm gear 188mounted on a vertical shaft 189, the lower end of said shaft 189carrying a bevel ear 190 which meshes with either one of the pair ofslidable bevel gears 191 which are moved into and out of mesh with thebevel gear 191 by means of an operatin lever 192 in such manner that thevertica shaft 189 can be rotated in either direction. At the rear end ofthe cable 182 is provided a hook or link 193 connected to a ring 194 192is moved to throw one of the slidable bevel gears 191 into mesh with thebevel gear 190 to rotate the vertical shaft 189 which through the mediumof the gearing just described rotates the drum 185 which winds the cable182 thereon to raise the crate or cage 51'into position shown in Fig. 4.The stage 175 is then placed into position as shown in Fig. 4 and thecrate or cage deposited thereon and it is then disconnected from thehooks 195 and canfbe rolled forwardly of the truck and deposited in anyconvenient position thereon.

Having thus fully described the several arts of this invention andspecifically set orth the modifications illustrated in the severalfigures it is apparent that certain further changes can be made whichwould fall within the limit and scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates is 1. A loading. and unloading device, in-

cluding motive power means, crane-like elevating lever-members, meansfor imparting a traveling movement to said lever-members and means forelevating said lever-members, said means for imparting a travelingmovement to said lever-members and said means for elevating the samebeing controlled from said motive power means.

2. A loading and unloading device, including motive power means,crane-like elevating lever-members parallel to each other and equippedwith receptacle-attaching means, means for elevating said lever-membersand means for imparting a traveling movement to said lever-members, saidlevermember elevating means and said means for imparting a travelingmovement to said 1ever-members being controlled from said motive powermeans.

3. A loading and unloading device, including motive power means,crane-like elevating lever-members, a carrier, said levermembers beingfulcrumed to swing upwardly from said carrier, means to effect suchupwardly swinging of said lever-members, and means to actuate saidcarrier, said carrier-actuating means and said levermember elevatingmeans being controlled from said motive power means.

4. A loading and unloading device, including motive power means,crane-like elevating lever-members, a carrier, a wormequipped shaft,said carrier being equipped with gearing meshing with the worm of saidshaft, said shaft being controlled from said motive-power means, saidcrane-like elevating lever-members being actuated through the gearing ofsaid carrier.

5. A loading and unloading device, including motive power means,crane-like elevating lever-members, a carrier, an endless belt drivenfrom said motive power means, said carrier being equipped with a toothedwheel, said endless belt engaging said toothed wheel, said crane-likeelevating lever-members being controlled through gearing carried by saidcarrier, and a worm equipped shaft meshing with the carriergearing andcontrolled from said motive power means.

'6. A loading and unloading device, including motive-power means,crane-like elevating lever members, a carrier equipped with gearing, a'shaft equipped with a worm meshing with the gearing of said carrier, anendless belt engaging a toothed wheel arranged at one end of saidcarrier, said belt and said crane-like elevating lever-memu bers beingcontrolled thrbugh said shaft from said motive power means.

. 7. A loading and unloading device, including motive-power means,crane-like elevating lever-members, a carrier provided with guide-waysand rollers at its upper and lower corners, an endless belt extendingthrough said guide-ways of said carrier and in contact with said rollersand encompassing a roller at one end of said carrier, a worm-equippedshaft, the worm of said shaft having a sliding connection therewith,said worm and said carrier being intergeared, said worm equipped shaftand said lever-members being controlled from said motive-power means. v

8. A loading and unloading device, including motive-power means,crane-like elevating lever-members, a carrier, an endless belt extendingthrough said carrier and engaging a sprocket wheel thereon, a wormequipped shaft, the worm of said shaft having a sliding connectiontherewith, said worm and said carrier. bein intergeared, saidworm-equipped shaft an said lever-members being controlled from saidmotive-power means, and lever, shaft and gearing mechanism for effectingsuch controlling action.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature, in presence of twowitnesses.-

ANDREW soHULzE.

Witnesses:

C. WENDEL SHOEMAKER, S. W. BOGLEY.

